Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

I raided the library the other day, renting a heap of tea books. New Tastes in Green Tea is one of the many I took home. I have not read the whole thing, but what I have read so far, I like. Did you know tea is served in Japanese hospitals? I wonder what it would be like to live in a country that emphasized healthy living through looking to nature’s remedies instead of one only focused on weight loss then feeds diet soda and junk food to its children? The tea that the hospitals serve is called hojicha. It is lower in caffeine and tannins than regular green teas due to the large amounts of stems mixed in with the leaves which means it will not interfere with the effectiveness of medications (check with your physician first before consuming hojicha if you are taking medications that should not be taken with caffeine). It is also used to aid recovery after surgery because it strengthens the walls of blood vessels.

Tea is so beneficial. It should be in school and office vending machines instead of colas. How would you like to be in a hospital recovering from surgery and instead of ice chips, a nurse brings you tea in a lovely tea bowl? Or tea ice chips? Now that is something worth trying. Brew the hojicha then freeze it and the healing benefits of tea slip down your throat with the soothing relief of the cold chips. Lovely.